Audrey Clement for County Board

Hello:

AY endorses Audrey Clement for Arlington County Board, for many of the reasons discussed in the post below. Audrey's opponent, Libby Garvey, would do over the next four years what's she's done over the past four years - rubber-stamp neighborhood-by-neighborhood infill gentrification, dismissing the costs and consequences, everything from neighborhood flooding to multi-modal gridlock. Even Senior Democrats, who will likely vote for Libby, are concerned that Arlington will become Portland-on-the-Potomac if Libby is re-elected, and they've made plans to quietly leave the County before that occurs.

Audrey's given Arlington Residents a choice every election for several years when the other political parties opted out of nominating candidates. That is shameful. What other option do we have for changing our Government, besides elections?

Audrey has worked hard as a candidate and as a member of the Transportation Commission. She often takes issue with County Government's growth-for-the-sake-of-growth agenda for the future, and fire-aim-ready planning by planners who don't and won't live in Arlington. Audrey spends a considerable amount self-funding her campaigns, attends debates, maintains a campaign website, audreyclement.com , where she offers pro-active alternatives to the status quo, and engages in all the activities a candidate who is serious about being elected needs to do.

Were it not for the perennially biased local media, specifically the Washington Post, which put profits ahead of Journalism, Audrey would have been elected to the County Board last year.

Consequently, AY endorses Audrey Clement for Arlington County Board.

Arlington / WETA Deal - Welfare for the Rockefellers?

Hello,

Two consent agenda items related to the proposed redevelopment deal between Arlington Government and WETA will be before the County Board on June 16th. The first, Item 2, is a phased development site plan for an addition to WETA's headquarters building. To be taken up at next month's CB meeting. The second, Item 14, is a temporary parking agreement between the County and WETA. A third, Item 29, was deferred by the CB on June 13th until next month and concerns the sale of WETA's studios to the County to be repurposed for outdoor sports.

An AY contributor obtained WETA's last annual report and WETA's last IRS Form 990. WETA is a very wealthy organization and does not need any financial assistance from Arlington County. WETA's CEO, Sharon Rockefeller, is not only wealthy herself but is also on the Board of the Rockefeller Foundation.

There is also the matter of environmental impacts of what will be a multi-jurisdiction sports facility and increased parking and vehicle trips in what is already a densely in-filled area.

WETA has little or nothing to do with Arlington County, apart from its headquarters, studios, and FM broadcasting tower located in Arlington. WETA increasingly appeals to an increasingly upscale audience, e.g., through fictional programming featuring an idealized British aristocracy.

Again, WETA needs no financial assistance from Arlington County.

Time for a Long Time-Out from ArlNow

Hello,

Time for a long time-out from visiting the ArlNow news blog? About time.

ArlNow's Owner and Publisher, Scott Brodbeck, is a long-time New Urbanist Democrat who's shared the goal, since he started ArlNow 11 years ago, of complete mixed-use infill gentrification / millennialization of the County with Arlington's Urbanist Democrats.

Scott no longer lives in historic Fairlington but quietly purchased a 1950's single family home in Country Club Hills a couple years ago, nowhere near the "vibrant" mixed use millennialization he and his fellow Urbanist media publishers promote and profit from, via features, ads, infomercials, weekly columns, and comments that appear under most features, mostly written by Urbanist Democrats who typically trash anyone who doesn't go along with one-party govenment dedicated to infill gentrification redevelopment.

It would be one thing if ArlNow were just another propaganda channel for revitalization through gentrification. But Scott (who has complete control over what is published on ArlNow) also uses his favored commenters as surrogates. Comments appearing on ArlNow are increasingly false and malicious without regard to truth and are directed against anyone who doesn't go along with the Urbanist-Democrat agenda.

Consequently it's time for anyone who's for increased democracy in Arlington to give ArlNow a long time-out. Alternative? Arlington Patch provides almost the same news content as ArlNow but without the overt biases and comments that verge on hate speech. Terri from 22205

ACPD - Mostly Useless?

Hey, Yupette,

Thanks for this blog.

Wonder what the Arlington County Police Department has been up to lately?

Just the usual. Setting up speed traps on lightly traveled arterials, defending malls, convenience stores, fast food restaurants, from shoplifters and disorderly persons. Chasing people out of parks and onto crowded sidewalks and trails. Responding to actions by persons of no fixed address with behavioral health issues. Ignoring any and all reckless behavior by persons riding bicycles, scooters, and skateboards, including reckless endangerment of children.

You would think with schools closed, courts closed, much less motor vehicle traffic, we would finally see community policing, meaning ACPD actually patrolling our neighborhoods. No way. Except for the aforementioned speed traps ACPD is even less visible than 6 months ago.

Check out the weekly crime reports in the Arlington media and you'll notice that ACPD solves few opportunistic crimes, leading me to stay away from places where opportunistic crimes occur. You should also.

T.L., 22201

County Government Approves More Infill Social Crowding

Hello,

In the event you haven't noticed the New Urbanism-addicted Arlington County Board approved a Phased Development Site Plan for Crystal City on March 21st and redevelopment of the Marriott Hotel site in Rosslyn on March 24th that will greatly increase the density of both areas under development.

Same County Board that's calling for social distancing now the CV epidemic has gathered momentum. Same County Board that's re-purposing streets, sidewalks, plazas, trails, neighborhood parks, National Parks, open spaces for high-density Millennialization.

Significant and serious social crowding is presently occurring on Arlington's streets, sidewalks, plazas, trails, neighborhood parks and other open spaces, as the Urbanist County Board has closed all community sports-recreation-entertainment venues.

But social crowding is what New Urbanism aka growth-for-the-sake-of-growth infill gentrification is all about. One can only HOPE that CV 19 will respond to anti-viral meds as the yearly influenza vaccines confer some immunity and anti-HIV meds put HIV into long-term remission.

Consequently, AY cannot recommend re-electing any incumbent Urbanist elected to public office in (and around) Arlington. They are all dedicated to turning what was once a socially and economically diverse County into an infilled gentrified mess.
AY

Rouse Estate Being Sold for $30 Million

Hello,

AY learned today from two sources that the Rouse Estate (corner of Wilson and McKinley) is on the market for $30 million. Likely outcome of the sale will be more residential infill at some density. Arlington County has expressed little interest in acquiring the estate for open space because Upton Hill Regional Park is just across Wilson Blvd.

Stay tuned for details.

AY

Check Your Insurance Coverage Before Spring

Hello,

It's been a mild winter (so far). Another month until Spring. More than obvious that we're going to see multi-modal mayhem on Arlington's streets, sidewalk, plazas, and trails, if not this year by about 2023.

Arlington's been on a "More Cars-More Vehicles-More Vehicle Trips" diet for decades, whether it's free range bicycles or free range SUVs. Latest is free range scooters. Don't expect multi-modal safety initiatives by anyone in authority. It will get worse as streets and sidewalks are repurposed for in-fill recreation that goes along with in-fill redevelopment with no new usable open spaces. County Board Chair Libby Garvey is a bicycle fanatic and can't do enough for what's become a bicycle cult.

Best thing (we think) for anyone who drives a motor vehicle sensibly and also runs or walks is to stay away from major arterials, off trails, and not drive during rush hours, if that's possible. Also check your insurance coverage because many bike riders and scooter riders don't have insurance. Have a safe Spring. A.Y.

Water Mains...Not Bike Lanes

Hello, Yupette,

How much more is this County going to spend on new dedicated bicycle infrastructure and renovating older bicycle infrastructure to benefit what's become a cult? How many Arlington residents are riding bicycles today - it's 30 degrees and snowing? How many water main breaks will have to be repaired this Winter? How many times will we have to boil tap water because large diameter water mains break and take days to repair?

New ductile iron water mains last 100 years and are highly resistant to cracking. Bike lane infrastructure lasts, what, 3 years? How did we get to the point where sports, recreation, and arts consume hundreds of millions every year, including tens of millions for new sports, recreation, and arts infrastructure?

Then there are the injuries caused by bicycles and scooters, which are essentially ridden free-range, and the demands on already-stressed ACPD and ACFD. How much does that cost us?

Terri, 22207

Tie: Wash Post and ArlNow for 'Worst Local Journalism in 2019'

Late last month AY polled its contributors to ask which local news outlet published the worst local journalism during 2019. Results were a virtual tie between the Washington Post and the ArlNow News blog. The Post narrowly edged ArlNow. Here's a sample of comments we received about the Post, ArlNow and the other local media, e.g., Sun Gazette.